Old School Champs

The Pistons are old school. In the new, sporadic, offense oriented NBA; Detroit has found success keeping it classic with tenacious D (without Big Ben) and high percentage shots. I expect them to bring glory back to blue-collar basketball when they teach the favored West something about timeless ball.
Dominating the less than impressive Eastern Conference the Pistons haven’t been pitted against the Mavs or Suns enough for me to tell what kind of game it’ll be, but what I do know is that defense wins championships, and Detroit got D.
The Suns will find it impossible to run on Detroit as the likes of Hamilton and Prince always get back and Sheed and Webber pull down the boards as the Suns saw in their 105-83 loss. As for Dallas, they might be as deep as the Eastern Conference leaders but they let Murray get 18 and 6 in the regular season… embarrassing. Now, that might not mean that Dallas will lose if these teams ever meet, but it does indicate that they are unable to cover every one of the versatile Pistons, while Detroit has the defense to cover all of the multitalented Mavericks.
So that’s the name of the game, defense and versatility. Something the Pistons have over the Mavs and Suns, and let’s not forget that the Pistons can score too, with all five starters scoring double digits and shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. Only the Bulls really present a threat in the East, but more than likely the Pistons will meat one of the previously presented West coast powerhouses, and if this is the case, they have a true shot at some rings (assuming Sheed doesn't kill anybody between now and then)

Basketbrawl

The basketball scrap has been an important part of the sport for many years and although it may be questionable ethically, it definitely fills the stands. Fights in the NBA are inevitable as larger-than-life personalities square off against each other in a physical game. Say what you will about the brawls but they’re exciting and have created some of the most memorable moments in basketball. From Latrell Sprewell to Ron Artest plenty of players have found themselves being punished for their aggression. James Posey and Rasheed Wallace could potentially make the Eastern Conference Finals more interesting if their egos collide. Now watch some of these famous brawls and note as Vince Carter takes it upon himself to prove to the world that America means business.
*Warning: This Video Contains Questionable Content*

All Grown Up

Some consider the Bulls to be going through a series of “transition seasons”. Of course after losing one of the best basketball dynasties ever, the only thing the team could be going through is a rebuilding stage. Unfortunately the team will never again achieve success like it had with Mike, but they are far from needing any reconstruction. The “Baby Bulls” are all grown up and this season, and many seasons to come, they are going to prove it.
The most incredible thing about the Bulls these days is while they can still be considered babies in age, they have the ability to beat almost any team on any given night. Without a doubt the acquisition of Big Ben is the coming of age ceremony for this club. The starters are the five reasons why the Bulls can’t be considered babies anymore.
Hinrich is an overlooked member of the infamous ’03 draft, but he’s certainly the purest PG from the class. Averaging about 7 dishes a night, this kid isn’t afraid to draw the foul. True, he sort of looks like a prepubescent child, but he’s man enough to go toe to toe with full-grown men.
Ben Gordon certainly can’t be considered a child. It’s simply a matter of time before this guy gets his all-star dues. He’s been a leader ever since he hoisted the trophy with UCONN in ’04 where he led the tournament with 21 points per. He was sixth man of the year as a rookie and the Bulls look to him in clutch situations. Only a man could step up like he has.
Andres Nocioni may not seem like a huge part of the Bulls lineup, but that’s exactly why he transcends the “Baby” label. He puts in as much work as anyone and he is probably the quietest player on the squad. He is willing to step out of the spotlight and become a role player, backing up Wallace on the boards and is willing to do all the blue-collar posting up for the team.
Loul Deng is the youngest player in the starting lineup, but he is far from juvenile. He throws down like only a grown man can, and he is the most balanced player on the club. He gets nearly 19-7-3 every night and he is the piece of the puzzle that bring everything on this offense together. Coming from Sudan can’t be easy and there’s no way you can consider Deng anything less than grown.
Which brings us to Ben Wallace. He embodies the full-fledged, diesel, hard-working, big man in the NBA. Undrafted, Wallace found his spot as a defensive superstar and now the 32-year-old is making $60 million in Chicago. Grown man muscles, grown man swagger (mostly the afro) and a grown man salary makes this acquisition the perfect move for a team that’s looking to win ASAP.
You can’t make the playoffs in this league without having a certain presence of mind and maturity. It’s not a fluke with the Bulls as this is their second year in a row. Nobody expects a new dynasty from these players, but you can’t call the babies anymore. This is a grown mans game and the success these players have found can only mean one thing; their not the “Baby Bulls” anymore.

It Takes Two

One player can’t carry a team, but as 1993 co-MVPs Stockton and Malone proved two is enough. The Lakers have had their fair share of duos (and rings) in Kobe/Shaq and Magic/Kareem and Pippen/MJ made another fantastic tandem (even before Rodman). I had some high hopes for pairs but this season left me disappointed. After expecting the same Wade/O’Neal team we saw in the playoffs, Yao and T-Mac’s injuries and Carmelo and Iverson’s inability to win, I was forced to look towards the future for hope. Luckily, some NBA twosomes are slowly reaching dynamic duo status.
Chris Paul and David West present one of the most interesting possibilities but West is really the one who needs to step up. Putting up career numbers this year puts DWest well on his way and we all know what Paul can do. CP3 clearly can’t carry his team but with West by his side, he may be able to reach the post season.
Dwight Howard is already a superstar and hopefully his teammate Jameer Nelson can keep getting him the ball in the future. As they both grow as players Nelson will hopefully join Howard as an offensive force.
Now the only young guard/big pair that can actually get to the second round this year is found in Chris Bosh and his teammate TJ Ford. Chris Bosh has established himself as a franchise player and as long as TJ can keep getting him the ball, a new dominant duo is inevitable here.
All three of these young pairs have one junior superstar and another young guy who needs to catch up. As their teammates reach their potential, all six of these players should bring glory back to the NBA tandem.

West Coast Killers

As this is one long post feel free to just watch the clip and you'll see what I'm trying to say.
For the hardcore fans:
As I’m sure you know, the Golden State Warriors have made the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, ending the longest drought in the League today. These days, the Warriors are one of the most exciting clubs to watch because of their incredible offensive personalities. These four are the reason that the series against Dallas will be more interesting than you think. (As if beating the Mav’s three times in the regular season isn’t enough to show they can do it).
The leader and most important part of this dynamic offensive is found in point guard Baron Davis. He’s a leader who will probably never be a hall-of-famer but is finally getting some well-deserved post-season games. Averaging around 20 points and 8 dimes, he’s truly their ringleader.
Jason Richardson becomes an important scorer and the former slam-dunk champ can still throw it down. His finishes cap off some of the most exciting plays this club makes.
The trade with the Pacers led to two more reason why the Warriors will give Dallas a run for their money, no Jackson isn’t the other reason, it’s getting rid of Dunleavy that also helped them. Al Harrington is an important addition as he will occasionally start as Center for Golden State but isn’t limited to rebounding and posting up. He can run fast breaks, play D on any position and can shoot the outside shot (he leads the team in 3PT percentage and not for lack of shooting as he makes about 2 tres a game).
Monta Ellis is the other dynamic player that completes this team. First off, he got hops, and he’s one of the best young players in the league. He has made some of the most exciting clips on Sports Center this season and he can provide some serious energy to this already hyper offensive force. Oh yeah, Biedrins, Barnes and Pietrus can't hurt.
Don’t take my word for it, check the clip.



I’m not bold enough to say these guys can beat Dallas, but this series may go longer than many of you think.

Speedy Keeps it Real

If you know street ballin' point guards, you know Speedy Claxton of the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks look to him as the X-Factor for their offense, but more important than his basketball ability is his street cred. He has become a staple in rap music, refenced in many different songs.
Main Flow mentions him in 'No Gangsta': "My squad got guns and shoot Speedy like Claxton", as does Masta Ace in 'Out Da Box': "All I need is Tony Touch and a backspin/Me and P gonna handle our biz like Speedy Claxton".
Although he missed nearly 40 games this season, and his team fell very short of the playoffs (of course missing Joe Johnson didn't help), last season Claxton provided us with a classic ballin' moment, making an awkward white guy fall over.



Let's hope next year he can take out Darko...

Betta Recognize

Welcome to Game Recognize Game. This is your no. 1 rescourse for everything NBA. You might even get some college and high school info too. I'll dig deep into SLAM, the internet, and Charles Barkley's diary for anything I can tell you about your favorite big time players.